Linksys Wireless Internet Camera with Audio

After trying for over a day to get the camera to work wirelessly I had to return it - the wireless component did not work at all. All settings were exactly as instructed in the installation manuals but the camera just did not work in the wireless mode. I would not recommend this device at all.

Cam has good resolution and color is adequate. Plastic stand is pretty cheesy. Not obvious how or what sequence is required to make it operate wirelessly but works well on LAN cable.

After reading the other reviews on this camera I was worried about setup and wireless distance. Turned out that both were not a problem. On my wireless G router I already have range extenders but even then I could get almost 100 yards from the base without losing a signal. Also, if you have never had any experience with port fwding, router settings, or calling devices by their IP addressed (this camera even displays its IP address on its LCD screen!) this might not be the product for you. With that being said I had the camera up and running sending motion activated e-mail 10 minutes out of the box. This camera has tons of options that I have not explored yet....it is a great deal!

The camera was very easy to set-up (even a novice should have no problems). It is amazing the ease at which you can access the camera from the web and pan/tilt around a room and see what is going on in fairly good quality. I have been very happy with it's proformance for over a month of use and would recommend it for people who need to see remotely what is happening in their house or monitor a medium size room (12x16 or so).

First of all, I actually give it 3.5 stars instead of 4

Well being a purchaser of many kinds of wireless and wired camera systems from various generic china made types, x-10, linksys, panasonic, and everything in between. I have definitely have had my experiences with cameras.

Now saying that I will get to what I think of the Panasonic BL-C131A camera. It is good for the most part. The motion is fluid and fast. It has great thermal detection and I love that feature very much. It's easy to set up and configure on your private network.

Now to compare this to the Linksys WVC200. It's much quieter in moving compared to the Linksys and they move about the same speed to me. A lot of people complained that they had trouble setting up the Linksys camera, I however had no problems whatsoever. I thought that they both set up fairly the same.

Image quality and color accuracy, I think that Panasonic has it hands down HOWEVER I like the Linksys cameras better for a few reasons. One since they are about the same price, several features really stand out with the Linksys camera. It can be placed outside, it can handle colder weather (see the first one) and last but the most important (at least to me) the Panasonic model as well as the wired version DOES NOT have an IR filter cut. They cant see an IR light, so they are useless in the dark. If they had and IR filter cut, I would claim Panasonic to be the better camera but whats the use of having a camera for security when it's blind half of the time. Don't get me wrong, it will grab every last bit of light that it can and use it well but that is about it. Panasonic with their thermal detection is GREAT, it detects me from over 40 feet away and the dog from around the corner. It works like a dream but it cant go outside, not even on a covered porch. It doesn't get wet where I place my linksys camera but the panasonic camera doesn't have a lens shield over that model so dust, debris and bugs can enter it easily. Also, operating temp range that it can handle is inferior to Linksys.

One thing that I find atrocious on the Panasonic camera is how it shows a person or object in motion. Even on "prefer motion" setting, it looks like crap with blotchy, ghosting movement compared to how the motion looks on Linksys.

Now saying that here is what I DISLIKE about linksys. The color representation during the day time is horrible to say the least. It portrays greens as purples. Its audible enough that when you move the lens around people know you have moved it. WORST of all, the motion detection software that comes with it DOES NOT WORK. If you use a third party software, it works fine but Linksys motion software sucks.

Panasonic's motions detection software is A+ works the first and every time. They both have great audio and in fact, I would give the audio also hands down to Panasonic. The reason being is because when you place it on the highest audio setting, you can hear EVERYTHING. Linksys audio is GREAT but Panasonic's is WOW.

Initially I had to reset Linksys camera once in a while but with the latest firmware I have had no problems. Here is the finally reason that I chose Linksys over Panasonic. I found it easier to set up Linksys cameras to be viewed from the web using a THIRD PARTY company, IE. DynDNS. Although both have their own DNS software and actually, Panasonic's is free for life as Linksys is only good for 60 days. The problem lies in the fact that I use DynDNS... its free and I have it to use PCAnywhere. They both say that they are able to use DynDNS but I still haven't been able to make Panasonic work with it. It works with their own software fine from the net but not with DynDNS. Maybe others have had better luck with DynDNS and Panasonic but not me.

So here is my conclusion. If you are going to use this camera only inside and in a somewhat lit area, then absolutely buy the Panasonic BL-C131A over the Linksys WVC200. It outperforms in almost all fashions from quietness of the servo to sound pickup and motion detection and you won't have to spend any more money on motion detection 3rd party software. If however u plan at all to use this in a dusty or outdoor area, use or planning to use DynDNS, you need clearer motion capture video, or IR lights then go with Linksys.

Oh, I almost forgot... One thing that I really like about the linksys recording software is that if you do a manual or timed recording, the amount of room that it consumes on your HD is about 1.1 gigs for every 24 hours. I find that to be very small for the amount and quality of video its recording. I haven't done manual or timed recording with Panasonic so I can't really say how it is.

I hope this helps make your choice easier